Design Suites — LA Fashion Week, March 2005
A Los Angeles fashion week record from March 2005 — the Design Suites off-runway showcases at LA Fashion Week in March 2005, kept as the historical record.
What did the editorial team see off-runway in March 2005 that tickled its fancy? The Design Suites report answers in full: a spa that telephoned every credentialed press attendee, a footwear collection previewed with its design assistant, an eco-couture label aiming to revolutionize the industry, faux-fur legwarmers with a devoted following, Parisian beauty laboratories, and a denim newcomer offering jeans in forty shades.
The report below was filed during Mercedes-Benz Los Angeles Fashion Week, March 2005, at Smashbox Studios. It is the section's record of the week's suite economy — the hotel rooms and studio corners where editors were courted and collections were quietly sold between runway shows.
Illustrative image created for this guide — an artistic impression, not photographs from these shows.
Footwear, Eco-Couture and Legwarmers
Chinese Laundry previewed its new footwear collection with design assistant Paul DiLena: high cork wedges with python details, runway-inspired leopard peeptoes and must-have menswear tweed and boucle. The standout was Linda Loudermilk, who had debuted the previous season with high-tech eco-friendly couture — recycled fabrics, advanced technology and cutting-edge styling turning the crunchy-granola environmentalist cliche on its head. And Bootzwalla's Lori Seliger had to lasso editors in to see her fuzzy faux-fur legwarmers, winning them over with provocative marketing and quality fabrications.
Beauty, Denim and the Spa
Sister laboratories Klorane and Furterer from Paris shared insider tips on natural ingredients — leave-in Okara conditioner, cornflower smoothing eye patches, and a dry shampoo that was the house's top seller. Denim newcomer Jelessy plied the team with press kits and photos of the super-skinny and super-famous in its threads: forty shades of denim and twenty-six candy colors, designer Steven Shaul having also inked a deal with The Kabbalah Centre for a licensed collection of vintage-style tops. Trilogy Spa opened the suite tour with hand massages and hot stone treatments that literally put one editor to sleep — a welcome respite from all that ails during fashion week.
The Report
What did we see off-runway that tickled our editorial fancy? Well, firstly the altruistic generosity of Trilogy Spa (you give us a massage, we'll write a glowing report!!) for personally calling every credentialed press attendee and inviting them for some downtime. We enjoyed a skin-soothing hand massage, the innovative cellulite laser technology (my waistline has never been so trim) and friendly, invigorating conversation. A fellow editor from Trendspotting NY accompanied us for the hot stone massage and literally fell asleep during the healing treatment. A welcome respite from all that ails during Fashion Week. See more at www.trilogy.com.
Next we previewed the new footwear collection from Chinese Laundry with design assistant Paul DiLena. Our favorites include high cork wedges with python details (always love high-low fashion statements), runway-inspired leopard peeptoes and clever usage of must-have menwear tweed and boucle. Choose your own at www.chineselaundry.com.
A true standout is the avant garde collection by Linda Loudermilk who debuted during Fashion Week LA last season with her high-tech eco-friendly couture. Aiming to revolutionize the clothing industry by fusing recycled fabrics, advanced technology and cutting-edge styling that turns the crunchy granola environmentalist cliche on its head, this fashion diva is well on her way. Each piece in this collection is ravishing, daring and runway-worthy. Need we say more? Make your own statement and check out www.luxuryeco.com.
When poking your head into a hotel suite is not enough, sometimes you need to be lassoed and dragged in to see a new collection. That's what happened as we encountered the unstoppable Lori Seliger from Bootzwalla, pioneering her fuzzy faux-fur legwarmers to NHT (next hot thang) devotees in Los Angeles. We took a peek and were admittedly intruiged by her provocative marketing materials, dynamic vignetted displays and the quality of her cozy fabrications. Get your own at www.bootzwalla.com.
Then, feeling the need for further self-indulgence we detoured to sister laboratories Klorane and Furterer from Paris, to score valuable insider tips about the world of natural ingredients and skincare predating the invention of harsh chemicals. There, we rediscovered the European favourites of our mothers leave-in Okara conditioner for our highlighted tresses (face it, who's aren't?) made with soy and wheat, long known for their revitalizing properties. At Klorane we received the new Cornflower smoothing eye patches, using the ancient extracts of arneca, camomile and cornflower to sooth tired skin and promote healing. A dry shampoo, which I swear my grandmother used, is now their top-selling product. And judging from the smart packaging, I know it's reaching a whole new demographic.
Denim newcomer Jelessy plied us with presskits, yummy lipbalm and muchos photos of the super-skinny and super-famous wearing their ultrahip threads. Revolutionizing the jeanswear industry with a brazen assortment of 40 shades and a veritable Willie Wonka wank-off of 26 candy colors, designer Steven Shaul couldn't pace himself to just stop there. Now he's inked a deal with The Kabbalah Centre to carry a licensed collection of vintage-style tops with images from the Jewish tradition. Now that's a divine merger of spirituality and commerce www.jelessy.com
Common Questions
What were the Design Suites?
The off-runway suite showcases at LA Fashion Week in March 2005, where labels, spas and beauty houses presented collections and treatments to press and buyers between runway shows.
Which discoveries stood out in the Design Suites?
Linda Loudermilk's high-tech eco-friendly couture, Chinese Laundry's cork wedges and leopard peeptoes, Bootzwalla's faux-fur legwarmers and Jelessy denim in 40 shades.
Who presented beauty in the Design Suites?
Klorane and Furterer from Paris, with natural-ingredient skincare and haircare, and Trilogy Spa, which invited every credentialed press attendee for treatments.